Dispensing containers



ug- 4, 1964 F. s. LAZURE ETAL 3,143,256

DISPENSING CONTAINERS Filed April 8, 1965 INVENTORS FRANK S. LAZURE ROSS C. REED ATTORNEY United States Patentl Oli ce 3,143,256 Patented Aug. 4., Y 1964 3,143,256 DlSPENSIN G CONTAINERS Frank S. Lazure, New Kensington, and Ross C. Reed,

Fox Chapel Borough, Pa., assignors to Aluminum Company of America, Pittshnrgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 271,125 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-480) This invention relates in general to container structures incorporating resiliently deflectable reclosure elements in permanently integrated movable assembly with the bodies thereof.

More specifically, a container failing within the scope of the invention comprises a body having at least one initially imperforate, preferably substantially flat panel or enclosing wall provided with one or more depressibly inwardly fracturable, puncturable, or rupturable entrance areas in association with a bulge or bubble protruding Youtwardly away from the plane of the substantially flat initially imperforate panel or enclosing wall of the container body in overlying relationship to which is provided a resiliently deectable plate element in movable integrated assembly therewith.

The overlying resilient plate element thus far described is restrainably edge-guided in its integrated movable assembly with the container body and is relatively movably disposable in overlying undersurface bearing contact with the outwardly disposed surface of the bubble or bubbles associated with the unfractured entrance area or areas to cause outward resilient deflection of the plate element and thereby provide visual tell-tale curvilinear structural evidence of an unopened or sealed container. Rupture or puncture of the entrance area, which can be accomplishedV by applying pressure on the visual outwardly deflected exposed surface of the resilient plate element in overlying surface contact with the bubble or bubbles causes the plate element to assume substantially flat or undeflected condition in otherwise movable overlying relationship with the panel in which the now ruptured entrance area or areas are disposed, a physical and visual condition of the resilient plate element characterizing an opened container.

One or more perforated areas in the resilient plate element are registerable with the ruptured entrance area or areas in the panel underlying the same, on selective relative movement of the plate element, to provide sifter Vdispensing means for the contents of the container, the

movable plate element being further movably disposable to serve as a reclosure member for an authorizedly opened container.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a container structure incorportaing an initially imperforate panel or enclosing wall having a scored or otherwise weakened area therein capable of authorized rupture or fracture by pressure exerted through a movable overlying contacting resilient plate element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealed container incorporating an initially substantially flat irnperforate panel or wall having at least one outwardly protruding bulged area disposed Within a score-defined weakened area thereof, in combination with a movable resilient plate element movable into overlying contacting relationship with the bulged area to permit pressure to be exerted on the exterior surface of the plate element to rupture or fracture the score-delined area underlying the same and thereby provide entrance to the container, and as a result of further relative movement of the plate element following rupture of the panel underlying the same, to provide contents-dispensing registry of an aperture or apertures through the overlying resilient plate element with the so fractured entrance area in the underlyingr container panel.

Other advantages and objects of the invention will be more fully appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention is addressed from a consideration of the following detailed description and illustrations, in which:

FIG. l represents a top plan view of a container in support of the invention incorporating a resilient dredge plate in integrated translatable assembly with a panel or wall of the container;

FlG. 2 represents a fragmentary sectional elevation, to enlarged scale, taken on the plane 2 2 of FlG. l;

FIG. 3 represents a fragmentary sectional elevation, to enlarged scale, taken on the plane 3*3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 represents a fragmentary sectional elevation similar to FIG. 3, but depicting the resilient dredge plate in position following a container opening operation;

FlG. 5 represents a top plan view of another embodiment of container structure supporting the invention in which a rotatable overlying resilient reclosure cover element has been employed;

FlG. 6 represents a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the plane 6 6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 represents a fragmentary sectional elevation similar to HG. 6, but depicting the resilient reclosure cover in position following a container opening operation.

Referring to the specific container structure illustrated in FIGS. l through 4, a conventional rectangular container 1t) has been selected as an example of containers falling within the scope of the invention. The container there illustrated has the usual or conventional short and long imperforate side walls 12 and 14, respectively, and suitably attached imperforate end panels of which the top permanent closure panel or enclosing wall 16 is shown.

rThe walls 12 and 14 may be fabricated from thin gauge metal, plastic, or be constructed from fibrous and/or interleaved fibrous and metallic foil larninae. Regardless of the body or wall structure of the container lil, it is preferred, although not essential, to provide the top panel 16 in the form of a light weight thin gauge metallic member, such as metallic aluminum or tin plate.

A depressibly puneturable, rupturable or fracturable segmentary portion or entrance area 2S is provided in the top panel 16 preferably perimetrically defined by an arcuate score line 22 and a base chord line 24, the latter being preferably shallower in scored depth than the arcuate score line to provide an integral attaching hinge for the segment 20 on depressible inward fracture or rupture of the segmentary portion 2i) along its curved deeper score line 22, as hereinafter described in more detail.

An upstanding ridge or bulge, and preferably a hemispherical bubble-shaped protuberance 28, is provided substantially centrally and in close adjacency to the arcuate score line 22 of the segment 20 for the intended purpose of serving as an area of concentrated downwardly and exteriorly applied pressure to effect rupture or puncture of the segment 20 along the arcuate score line 22 and permit, if desired, further deection of the so severed segment 20 inwardly into the container body about its hinge score line 24.

The oppositely disposed long side walls 14 of the container 10 each support or provide a guide rail 30, spaced above the top panel 16, the rails 30 being feasibly formed by infolding the material of each long side wall 14 and cooperating with the upper exposed plane surface of the top panel 15 immediately below the same to provide lateral opposite edge-guiding grooves for a slidable dredge plate element 32.

The translatable or slidable dredge plate 32 is purposely selected from a resilient material permitting its outward deflection across its transverse narrow width into underside bearing contact with the outwardly bulged protuberance 28 without permanent plastic deformation of the dredge plate (FIG. 3). Conventional materials for the resilient dredge plate 32 are numerous and include thin gauge metallic materials, such as aluminum, tin plate, conventional plastics, as well as fibrous stock and fibrous-metallic foil laminates.

It will be observed that the dredge plate 32 is preferably angularly cropped or sheared at its leading edge at 34 in substantial parallelism with the hinge score line 24, as well as being provided with a series of conventional apertures 36 serving as shaker or sifter dispensing openings for the contents of container when the apertures 36 overly or register with the segmental entrance area 2t) following its depressibly inward fracture or rupture. The dredge plate 32 is also preferably selected in its long dimensional length to extend from its cropped or sheared leading edge 34 in coincidence with the hinge score line 24 to the right (FIG. l) into contact with the right hand portion of beaded edge 46 of the container, a suitable upstanding pusher surface 44 being provided for slidably translating the plate 32 into overlying upwardly deflected as well as substantially flat planar relationship (FIGS. 3 and 4) in respect to the segment entrance area 20 and its upstanding bulged area 28.

In the aforesaid overlying upwardly or outwardly deected disposition of the resilient dredge plate 32 in contact of its underside surface with the outwardly bulged surface of the protuberance 28 (FIG. 3), pressure applied against the exposed outwardly dellectly surface thereof will cause the arcuately grooved score line 22 to preferentially rupture and segment to depressibly hinge about its base chord score line 24 into the interior of the container, with the dredge plate 32, because of its selected resilient nature, assuming or returning to an undeflected condition in substantially llat bearing contact on the upper outwardly facing surface of the end panel 16 (FIG. 4). Retraction of the dredge plate 32 to the extreme right, from its location in FIG. 1, will completely expose the inwardly Vdepressed segment or entrance area 20 to permit further depression thereof into the interior of the container for spoon or similar access to the contents thereof. Otherwise, registry of the apertures 36 in the dredge plate over the opening provided by the depressed segment 20 permits sifter dispensing use of the container.

Location of the segment area 20 towards the left hand end of the top panel 16 (FIG. 1) provides sufficient right to left sliding movement of the dredge plate 32 to permit its serving as a reclosure member for an otherwise authorizedly opened container, whereas outwardly flexed and disposed condition (FIG. 3) of the resilient dredge plate 32, in undersurface bearing contactwith the outwardly protruding or upstanding bubble 28, visually locates outermost disposition of the exed plate 32, before authorized opening of the container, below a plane defined by the upper beaded edge 46 of the container, thus insuring horizontal coplanar end stacking of similar containers of the invention regardless of the location of the movable dredge plate 32. Y

A further essential feature entails inward extension of each of the side rails (FIG. 3) a sufficient distance to insure guided retention of the dredge plate 32 under its condition of reduced or shortened transverse dimensional width resulting from outward resilient llexing of the same (FIG. 3).

Referring to the container structure embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 7, it will be observed that a conventional cylindrical container body 50 is shown with its circular flat end wall or panel 52 bulged outwardly at a plurality of equally spaced circumferentially disposed areas 54 defined by score lines 56 substantially or completely surrounding the base of each of the bulged areas in the horizontal plane of the end panel 52.

In addition, a resilient plate element 58 is rotatably assembled through its inverted channel-shaped marginal l flange 60 in interlockingly secured running rotatable clearance on the exposed surface of a conventional bead 62 permanently connecting the top circular panel 52 with the body of the cylindrical container 50. Equally spaced concentrically disposed apertures 64 in the rotatable cover element 58 are rotationally registrable with the outwardly bulged areas 54. Y

The materials of lthe container and cover plate in FIGS. 5 through 7 are selectable from any one or more of the materials mentioned in the description of the container structure of FIGS. l through 4, the resiliency and flexing characteristics, in the absence of plastic flow and permanent deformation of the rotatable reclosure plate S8,.being the prime desideratum.

The operation in use of the container of FIGS. 5 through 7 is substantially the same as that described for the container structure of FIGS. l through 4. In this regard, rotation of the resilient plate member 58 to place imperforate areas thereof in resilient outwardly llexed underside bearing contact with exposed surfaces of the outwardly bulged entrance areas 54 (FIG. 6) causes the inner marginal llange surface 68 of the inverted circumferential channel-shaped flange 60 of the resilient plate 58 to incline inwardly adjacent its integral and coextensive attachment to its otherwise normally horizontal llat depressed central circular surface area, as will be best understood from FIGS. 6 and 7. Externally applied pressure on the outwardly deflected plate 58 results in fracture or rupture, at least in part, of the weakening score lines 56 defining the underlying entrance area bulged protuberances or bubbles 54, with accompanying inward depressible disposition of the latter protuberances within the interior of the container 50 (FIG. 7). In this latter con- I dition, the resilient plate element 58 has resumed its normal ilat plastically undeformed condition overlying the ilat end panel 52 of the container and is rotatable to register its dispensing apertures 64 with the depressibly inwardly opened entrance areas 54.

Both embodiments of containers selected for purposes of describing the invention visually present outwardly, and preferably curvilinearly, flexed top surface areas of the rectilinearly movable dredge plate element 32 and rotatable cover plate element 58 through overlying undersurface bearing contact thereof with the upstanding or outwardly bulged areas 28 and 54, respectively, thereby visually indicating tell-tale structural evidence of sealed or unopened containers. The same unopened or sealed condition of both containers is visually observable when the intact upstanding protuberances 28 and 54 are exposed to an observer thereof, as by disposition of the dredge plate element 32 to its extreme right hand position from its location in FIG. 1, and by registry of the bulged areas 54 within the apertures 64 in the rotatable cover element 58 of the container of FIGS. 5 through 7. In both latter cases the dredge plate 32 and cover plate 58 assume a substantially at disposition as compared to their outwardly resiliently deflected disposition.

Rupture or fracture and inwardly depressed disposition of the outwardly projecting bulged areas or bubbles 28 and 54, under the inherent resiliency of the overlying cover members 32 and 58 and their tendency to lie substantially llat, structurally and visually signify that the containers have been opened and in this latter condition would not be acceptable in commerce.

The fact that the dredge plate element 32 and cover plate element 58 assume substantially fiat bearing contact with the upwardly facing exterior flat surfaces of the end panels 16 and 32, respectively, after the containers have been authorizedly opened, assures free movement of the sliding dredge plate element and rotatable cover plate element as reclosures without accumulation of container contents between the overlying substantially contacting surfaces of the dredge plate element 32 and reclosure element 58 with their underlying flat panels 16 and 52 respectively.

While two certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described hereinabove, it will be understood by those versed in the container art that many additional modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container of the class described including an initially imperforate panel provided with a depressibly rupturable entrance area therein, a protuberance carried by the entrance area and extending outwardly away from the panel, a resilient plate element in movable integrated assembly overlying the panel, said plate element positioned in disposition over the protuberance being outwardly and visually deliected thereby in adjacent under surface contact therewith, and said resilient plate element assuming substantially coextensive coplanar bearing contact with the panel on depressible rupture of the entrance area to depress the protuberance below the plane of the panel.

2. A container of the class described including an initially imperforate panel having a depressibly rupturable entrance area deiined therein, an upstanding protuberance carried by the entrance area extending above the exposed plane surface of the panel, a dredge plate carried in superimposed translatory relationship above said panel, said dredge plate being of a resilient material and visually and outwardly deilectable in overlying underside bearing contact with the upstanding protuberance, the dredge plate being resiliently depressible against said protuberance in overlying relationship therewith to depressibly rupture the entrance area and dispose the dredge plate in coplanar substantial coextensive bearing Contact with the panel underlying the same, and said dredge plate being translatable in underside substantial coextensive bearing Contact with the exterior surface of the panel on rupture and depressed disposition of the entrance area to expose and reclose the depressibly ruptured entrance area.

3. A container of the class described including an initially imperforate substantially flat panel having a perimetrically score-deined depressibly fracturable entrance area therein, a normally substantially fiat resilient plate element overlying the panel in movable integrated relationship thereto, an outwardly protruding bulge within the entrance area, said plate element being movable over the bulge and visually resiliently outwardly deectable thereby, said plate elemement assuming substantially flat contact bearing disposition on the outwardly facing surface of the panel underlying the same on inward depressible rupture and disposition of the entrance area below the outwardly facing surface of the panel, and said plate element in substantially flat overlying disposition over a so opened container providing reclosure means therefor.

4. A container of the class described including an initially imperforate substantially hat panel having a perimetrically score-deined depressibly rupturable entrance area therein, at least one bubble extending outwardly beyond the plane of the substantially at panel, a normally substantially flat resilient plate element in integrated assembly with the container in overlying relationship to the substantially iiat panel, said plate element being movable and resiliently deectable outwardly by underside contact with the bubble in the entrance area and substantially fiat on inward depressible rupture of the entrance area into substantially coextensive bearing Contact with the substantially flat panel, whereby an unopened container presents a visually curvilinearly outwardly deiiected exposed surface of the movable plate element in overlying disposition over the bubble and the same exposed surface in visually iiat condition in an opened container.

5. An initially imperforate sifter container conning dispensable contents therewithin, a substantially hat exposed surfaced panel forming a wall of the container, at least one entrance area depressibly rupturable through the substantially at exposed surfaced panel, a bubble protuberance within and extending outwardly away from the entrance area, a resilient cover plate overlying the substantially iiat expoesd surfaced panel and movable in parallel edge-guided and integrated assembly in relation thereto, said resilient cover plate being centrally deflected outwardly in underside bearing contact with the bubble protuberance and lying ilat against the outwardly disposed imperforate panel on depressible inward rupture of the entrance area and disposition of the bubble below the plane surface of the remainder of the imperforate panel, whereby visually detectable outward deflection of the movable resihent cover plate is indicative of an unopened container whereas the flattened condition thereof in Contact with the bubble is indicative of an opened container, and at least one aperture in the resilient cover plate registerable with the depressibly ruptured entrance area serving as a sifter dispensing orice to the contents of the container.

6. A container of the class described including an initially imperforate panel provided with a score-weakened inwardly puncturable entrance area therein, a bubble protuberance extending outwardly beyond the plane of the imperforate panel and within the score-defined entrance area, a iiexibly resilient plate element in relatively movable integrated assembly overlying the imperforate panel, said plate element being edge guided and retained against removable separation from the container in all positions of the same and visually outwardly resiliently deected away from its underlying imperforate panel in bearing underside contact of the plate element with the outwardly extending bubble protuberance, and said edge guided plate element assuming substantially coextensive coplanar undesired bearing contact with the outwardly facing surface of the panel on depressible inward rupture and disposition of the entrance area beneath the plate element.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS /IM//fr/ UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Retent No., 3,143,256 August 4, i964 Frank S., Lazure si,

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 68, for "32" read 52 column 5, line 47, for "elemement" read element Column 6, lines 49 and 50, for "undesired" read underside Signed and sealed this 24th day of November 1964,.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWlDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Aitesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A CONTAINER OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED INCLUDING AN INITIALLY IMPERFORATE PANEL PROVIDED WITH A DEPRESSIBLY RUPTURABLE ENTRANCE AREA THEREIN, A PROTUBERANCE CARRIED BY THE ENTRANCE AREA AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM THE PANEL, A RESILIENT PLATE ELEMENT IN MOVABLE INTEGRATED ASSEMBLY OVERLYING THE PANEL, SAID PLATE ELEMENT POSITIONED IN DISPOSITION OVER THE PROTUBERANCE BEING OUTWARDLY AND VISUALLY DEFLECTED THEREBY IN ADJACENT UNDER SURFACE CONTACT THEREWITH, AND SAID RESILIENT PLATE ELEMENT ASSUMING SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE COPLANAR BEARING CONTACT WITH THE PANEL ON DEPRESSIBLE RUPTURE OF THE ENTRANCE AREA TO DEPRESS THE PROTUBERANCE BELOW THE PLANE OF THE PANEL. 